Radio-Controlled WWII tanks, planes

Warriors and Wizards: Development and Defeat of Radio-Controlled Glide Bombs of the Third Reich (book review)Several nations toyed with radio-controlled aircraft in the mid-1920s, but RC equipment was not sophisticated enough for any serious use. Then, in 1943, the Allies were surprised by very effective Luftwaffe airstrikes against shipping in the Atlantic, at the Salerno and Anzio beachheads in Italy and off Normandy. Amazingly, Nazi scientists managed to launch the first guided bomb from a twin-engine Heinkel 177 -- configured to carry the Fritz-X glide bomb -- while later versions used twin-engine Dornier 217.(washingtontimes.com)

John Hancock builds WWII RC model planes: Maiden flight excitement with gears, batteries and enginesJohn Hancock builds and flies model planes as if they were real. His favorite planes are WWII fighter planes: The P-51 Mustang, Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and the Spitfire. Hancock, currently working on a Vought F4U Corsair, explains that it is hard to find model plane kits one can build from scratch as most model kits are "almost-ready-to-fly" kits. As a longtime model builder Hancock has flown gliders and battery-operated models, but focuses on 2-stroke engines and RC flights. There is always excitement and drama: Will the engine work, will it fly? "I learned the hard way to fly. Basically... by crashing a lot of planes."(paysonroundup.com)

Conflict-Series: A highly rated strategy game series for AndroidIf you love classic PC war games and legendary strategy board games make sure to check out the highly rated Conflict-series for Android. Some of the WWII Campaigns include D-Day 1944, Operation Barbarossa, Invasion of Poland 1939, France 1940, Kursk 1943, Market Garden, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Rommel's North African campaign, the Battle of Bulge, and the Battle of Berlin 1945. In addition there are American Civil War, First World War and American Revolutionary War scenarios available.(available on Google Play & Amazon App Store)

War games: Hobbyists use radio controlled tanks as tool to learn as they re-fight battlesAs a rain hammered down on Miller Park, it was a case of "Tanks, but no tanks" for the local Radio Control Armor Club. The next day the battlefield had drained, and the RC miniature 10-pound war machines were back in combat. This is a Japanese invention - even though Japan used the fewest tanks of any of the major WWII participants. The Japanese company Tamaya started the mini-tank craze and is the largest distributor. Tank commanders score victories by hitting other tanks with a laser beam. "Every time you get hit, your power diminishes... If your tank gets hit enough, it will just stop," explained John Sprouse, who commands the Virginia Armored Division.(newsadvance.com)

David Shultz`s radio-controlled model tanks (Tiger, Jagd Panther, Panther, StuG III) pull in crows (Video) (Article no longer available from the original source)As soon as Dave Shultz unloaded his radio-controlled model tanks at Mukilteo`s Lighthouse Park, a crowd emerged. Shultz, whose father served as a WWII tank driver, was a machinist with the Navy during the Vietnam War. He began making the RC tanks in the 1980s to re-enact the 1943 battle of Kursk. First up was "Herman", an all-aluminum, 1/6-scale reproduction of the German Mark VI, E Model Tiger tank. "Helmut" is a radio-controlled 1/3-scale model of the German Mark V, JagdPanther tank. "Heinrich" is a 1/3-scale reproduction of the German Mark V, D Model Panther tank, while "Horst" is a half-scale model of a German Sturmgeschutz StuG III tank.(enterprisenewspapers.com)

The giant radio-controlled King Tiger replica tank - 1/4 scale modelIt`s the ultimate toy: a giant radio-controlled tank. The 6ft long tank is a 1/4 scale model of a King Tiger, the Nazi weapon which wreaked havoc among allied tanks. Weighing 250kg, the camouflaged tank has a working turret and a 2ft long gun. Powered by two 500 watt 24 volt motors, it can pull a car on a level surface. The heavy armour and powerful long-range gun gave the King Tiger the advantage against all tanks - American Sherman was unable to penetrate its armour even at point blank range. The tank is the meanest machine available at Mark 1 Tanks. The larger tanks are put together by company founder Mark Spencer, while 1/35 scale models come in kit form.(dailymail.co.uk)

World War II P-38 model plane takes flight, crash-landsGreg Zola drove 36 hours to fly a model replica WWII plane he spent 3 years building, only to see it crash-land during its inaugural California flight. "It was pilot error," said Zola, who painstakingly built a one-fifth scale replica of the San Joaquin Siren, a WWII-era P-38 once piloted by Bill Behrns. Zola is an avid model-airplane builder and began the effort to recreate Behrns` plane from archival photos and eyewitness accounts. He contacted Behrns and asked permission to construct the radio-controlled plane and said when he finished he would show it off. "I didn`t think he needed my permission, but it sure was an honor," Behrns said.(recordnet)

Neville Smith: wargames with RC panzers [scale model of a WWII tank]Neville Smith has spent $11,000 on 11 radio-controlled tanks to use in scaled-down World War II themed battles. His tanks range from the famous German Tiger 1 to the American Sherman. Each 1/16 scale model costs $1000-$2000 and takes weeks to assemble. "I guess the fact you can shoot one another and play games with the tanks won me over." When he isn`t assembling tanks Smith spends hours fashioning toy soldiers and artificial trees to use on the battlefield. Those come in handy at gatherings of radio-control tank lovers. The group was formed by Smith and has 20 members throughout New Zealand. Auckland enthusiasts meet regularly to battle their tanks in wargames.(stuff.co.nz)

Neville Smith, wargames with radio controlled WWII battle tank modelsNeville Smith has spent $11,000 on 11 radio-controlled tanks to use in scaled-down World War II themed battles. His tanks range from the famous German Tiger 1 to the American Sherman. Each 1/16 scale model costs $1000-$2000 and takes weeks to assemble. "I guess the fact you can shoot one another and play games with the tanks won me over." When he isn`t assembling tanks Smith spends hours fashioning toy soldiers and artificial trees to use on the battlefield. Those come in handy at gatherings of radio-control tank lovers. The group was formed by Smith and has 20 members throughout New Zealand. Auckland enthusiasts meet regularly to battle their tanks in wargames.(stuff)

$15,000 German FW-190A fighter model won Top Gun competition (Article no longer available from the original source)Dino Di Giorgio spent 7 months and $15,000 building his radio-controlled model airplane, and it paid off when he won the International Top Gun competition for the 4th time. He is one of more than 100 pilots participating in the Warbirds Over the Rockies 3-day fly-in east of Fort Collins. The planes are modeled to scale after World War I biplanes, World War II fighters and bombers and other military aircraft. Di Giorgio’s plane is a replica of a Focke-Wulf 190A, a WWII German fighter. "What we have is an assembly of 200 of the finest radio-controlled airplanes in the world," said Brian O’Meara.(timescall)

Radio-controlled game of miniature war machines gaining popularitySingapore: A radio-controlled game of miniature war machines is gaining popularity. They may seem like the latest war machines, but there is one difference: the replicas belong to the Radio Control Armoured Battalion of Singapore. "The replica is very, very realistic, based on sound, the recorded sound from the real tank, the details, everything ... When we drive the tank, we can really feel how this tank would have really done battle in world war two," says Jumat Bin Atan. It is usually a face-off between two groups: the German-made tanks and the American ones. To survive, it takes a mix of team work, strategy and skill.(channelnewsasia)

HMT Rohna sinking no longer secret: Smart bomb classified for decadesTammy Andries began by asking how many had heard of the USS Arizona, the ship on which 1,177 crewmen lost their lives on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Every veteran raised his hand. Andries then said: "How many here have heard of the HMT Rohna?" Not one hand went up. On Nov. 26, 1943, the British ship HMT Rohna carrying American soldiers was sunk by a German air attack in the Mediterranean Sea. The number of dead on the Rohna was 1149, including 1015 Americans. As the truth has emerged, so have theories as to why it was classified for decades. The Rohna was sunk by a German airplane that had for the first time fired a radio-controlled glider bomb: a "smart bomb." (---)